Yet even at the core of cowboy culture, the Western hat is fading. Safety concerns are pushing riders from wide, curved-brim hats to wearing helmets. As with other dangerous sports such as ...

Rodeo, a sport in which the cowboy hat is as much an icon as a bucking bronco, has been reluctant to require its riders to wear helmets. Even for children as young as 5, they remain optional under ...

Boettcher grew up wearing a cowboy hat while he rode bulls ... Cowboys who don't wear them say helmets can cause problems with visibility or balance, which is crucial in the sport.

broad-brimmed hard hats as an alternative to helmets. But ex-cowboy Hayden Bostock blamed apathy in the ranching industry for inadequate safety equipment for cowboys. Bostock said he has been ...